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Showing content with the highest reputation since 18/07/25 in Posts
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Thank You Simon Goodwin by Demonland
73 pointsAs Demon fans, we’ve ridden a rollercoaster of emotions over the decades; the heartbreaks, the near misses, the wooden spoons, and the endless waiting. But through it all, we clung to hope. And then came Simon Goodwin. Before he ever wore red and blue, he was a champion in his own right. A five-time All-Australian, two-time Best and Fairest, and two-time premiership hero and Captain with Adelaide, Simon Goodwin was always destined to lead. When he transitioned from the field to the coach's box, first as an assistant at Essendon, he began shaping a new legacy. In 2014, he joined the Melbourne Football Club as an assistant coach, handpicked to be Paul Roos’ successor. It was a plan built on patience and vision and when Goody finally took the reins in 2017, there was a renewed sense of belief. We could feel something stirring. Under his guidance, we began to see what was possible. He instilled defensive grit, relentless attack, demanded effort, and taught this proud but battered club how to fight again. In 2018, he took us back to September for the first time in over a decade. We stormed into a preliminary final after years wandering the football wilderness. For the first time in a long time, we believed. Then came 2021. It’s almost impossible to find the words to capture what that year meant to us. In the darkest days of lockdowns and isolation, Simon Goodwin led us to the light. He took a group of talented but unproven players and turned them into a ruthless, relentless machine. He dared them to dream. He made us believe again. And then, on a September night in Perth, he delivered us the moment we’d waited 57 long years for. A premiership. A demolition. A masterpiece. A drought-breaker. Simon Goodwin did what so many before him could not. He gave generations of Demon fans something to hold on to. For those who waited their whole lives. For the ones who didn’t believe they would ever live to see it. For the kids who now know what glory feels like. He made that happen. But footy is brutal. The expectations rise. The pressure mounts. And the same man who brought us our greatest joy has now been shown the door. It hurts. It’s confusing. It feels wrong in some ways. But above all, we are grateful. Grateful for the calm in the chaos. Grateful for the what he helped achieved for our club. Grateful for the premiership cup that now stands in our cabinet. He etched his name into Melbourne Football Club history, not just as a coach, but as a redeemer. There were lows, frustrating losses, finals heartbreaks, questions that went unanswered but no one can ever take away what he accomplished. He changed the course of our club forever. So thank you, Goody. Thank you for the belief. Thank you for the memories. Thank you for 2021. Thank you for giving us our time. You’ll always be a part of the Melbourne family. Forever a Demon.73 points
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Simon Goodwin respect thread.
63 pointsI would like to give some respect to the Demon's most successful coach of almost a lifetime. 111 wins, 1 draw, 90 losses. 202 games behind only Smith, Hughes and Daniher. 55% overall win rate which puts him just ahead of Northey and Ivor Warne-Smith, and behind only fellow premiership coaches Hughes, Chadwick and Norm Smith. His tenure will be remembered for an extraordinary list of near misses in so many different ways. The tragic 2023 finals where we lost two games by a total of 9 points between them, and also lost one of our most esteemed leaders in a moment for which the injustice tainted many supporter's love of the game. The extraordinary one-straight-kick percentage gap which coast the Demons a finals spot in 2017. And so many of the little 'moments' that just didn't drop our way. But for all that, the legacy will always be late season surge of 2021, where for a magic long moment the plan all came together. Journeyman tall forwards under injury clouds came good and played their role. Star midfielders with inconsistent disposal found their groove at the same time. The defensive efforts worked like a terrifying hive-mind, giving away just 56 points per game in finals and for four rounds leading to them. And finally, the most dominant 45 minutes of grand final football in the history of the game, when destiny was seized and the chapter was turned on a half-century of perennial disappointment. Many called for change, and we all will be feeling a nervous optimism for a refreshed club, but let's not mix the enthusiasm for a new start with any bitterness in reflection. Let's do it right and speak of Goodwin as the drought-breaking premiership coach who will be a loved part of the club for many years to come. Best wishes, coach.63 points
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Simon Goodwin Sacked
55 pointsBrutal. I am of the view that it’s the right call for 2026, but the timing is brutal. I wish him all the best. He brought us our first flag in 57 years, multiple finals campaigns after a 12 year drought, relevance and excitement. He also had to deal with relentless media scrutiny, a dysfunctional board/club and no proper home base. I hope he gets the recognition he deserves, whether you think this is the right call or not.55 points
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POSTGAME: Rd 21 vs West Coast
37 pointsNot match winning but Oliver’s best game in many a day. Ran hard. Took time to find targets so had good disposal. Seemed invested. Delighted for him. More of that in the next few weeks would be nice ❤️💙37 points
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Judd McVee contract
35 pointsFWIW, last Saturday at the captain’s run Judd said that his decision on his future has nothing to do with who our head coach is/was. He said nothing has changed with the sacking of Goody, he’s always planned (and still plans) on staying. Then on Tuesday he said “just some loose ends to tie up, but yeah, I’m not leaving.” Incidentally, I don’t ask him about his decision, he volunteers the info. Ok, so I may’ve given him the odd death threat or two, but that was in the past. I don’t even need to give him the sideways stink-eye..: he knows. 😁35 points
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Simon Goodwin Sacked
34 pointsApparently, they do have a coach appointed, but he can’t start until next May.34 points
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Joe Daniher - worth a knock on his door?
33 points
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Who Will Be Our Next Coach?
31 points
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POSTGAME: Rd 22 vs Western Bulldogs
30 pointsHaving worked with someone in a not dissimilar scenario to CP5 - and went on to win a couple of premierships, the energy and effort expended each match was huge to manage his anxiety of re-injury and the potential cost of that, whilst being in a culture of - it's happened...just harden up. Coming back from a life-threatening injury isn’t just about healing tissue; it’s about re-wiring the brain’s threat systems. From a neurobiological point of view, those systems are designed to keep you alive, not get you back into contested footy. Even when the body is “ready,” the brain often keeps running protective patterns – subtle hesitation, altered decision-making, or a shift in how risk is assessed – and that can permanently change a player’s game. To me, that all looks pretty clear in how he plays now post injury. If Christian was 22, then maybe it would be different - the holistic view is, presuming he wants/has (IDK) a family, other interests, then mortality (be it philosophical or literal) would be consistently front of mind, be it game day, or training in terms of having to protect himself, subtly sometimes, and more pronounced at others. The challenge isn’t forcing the old version of yourself back, but learning to operate within the new reality. And that’s not failure; it’s the natural adaptation of someone who’s survived something most people never have to face30 points
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Training Ground?
29 pointsCaulfield is progressing well. There’s positive movement in the background. Solidifying the executive will progress it. In the mean time, AAMI is fine. Less time at Casey, more at AAMI. It certainly isn’t an issue for the Storm who are the NRLs gold standard for preparation, culture and performance.29 points
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Simon Goodwin Sacked
29 pointsBest coach in my lifetime. Delivered a drought breaking flag. A Demons legend. But the time is right, the club needs a fresh voice. Thank you Simon and all the best29 points
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Max on the Front Bar
29 points
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Who Will Be Our Next Coach?
28 pointsI hope Kalani isn't disheartened by Jobe's inclusion. We don't want a flat White.28 points
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TRAINING: Monday 28th July 2025
28 pointsThe negativity on DL fir the last 18 months has been relentless. But is peaking right now on the back of the disaster that unfolded in the last 30 mins of last week's game. I was there, sitting directly above the Dee Army, (whose support was awesome from go to whoa). So I got the full immersive angst experience. Don't get me wrong it was certainly something to behold. But at the risk of being howled down, whilst I understand ans share the anger and frustration fans feel, frankly I find many of the attacks on our club pathetic. What amazes me is that people attack the club like they are not part of it. Supporters of the dees, regardless of whether they are a paid up member or not, ARE the club. Boards, coaches, players, CEOs etc come and go. Supporters don't. Supporters support. We are the club. I love the dees, and have done since I started supporting them I'm 1972. I have seen my fair share of woeful performances, including full seasons when we struggled to win a game. Perhaps is just me, but I've never once felt the urge to mindlessly attack the club and spew vitriol towards it. Criticise sure, blind negativity and anger never. The one constant in the 50 plus years I've supported the dees is for almost all that time we have been a rabble off field. Successful organisations, whether in business, community or sport, have one thing in common - strong governance. Calls for the coaches sacking all you like, bag the the players until you are blue in the place, but we won't see sustained success until we sort our chronic, half century long governance problems. The great irony is, unlike how players and coaches perform or our trading decisions etc etc, supporters actually CAN do something about improving our governance. We are a member based organisation and we have power. In my book, if we choose not to use that power (and I don't mean by refusing to buy a membership or attend games - which of course doesn't help) angst should be directed at us not the usual scapegoats. Part of the problem not part of the solution. Peter Lawrence copped a bit of stick for activelly trying to do something about improving our governance. I for one look at PL's efforts to improve our governance last year thru a different lens now given we end yey another season in turmoil with the shadow President and new CEO on holidays in Europe and not returning to seasons end (even if we wanted to make major changes to the FD how can we). I'll put my hand up and admit that i have shown little interst in actually trying to ccontribute to efforts to improve our governance. I'll start thinking about how i can change that - for a start I'll go to our AGM for only the third time.28 points
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Who Will Be Our Next Coach?
27 pointsIt literally doesn’t matter who the club picks or what process they go through, the same whiney [censored] on this site will complain and moan and tell us all how bad of a decision we made, how much this club is a shambles and how unhappy they are. Some people just love the sound of their own miserable voice.27 points
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Judd McVee contract
27 pointsI know it’s been posted a bazillion times but it’s never not heartwarming…27 points
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TRAINING: Tuesday 12th August 2025
26 pointsHe saw me trying to sneakily take a pic so he pulled the jumper down, crossed his arms to keep it down, and breathed in…26 points
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POSTGAME: Rd 22 vs Western Bulldogs
26 pointsThat was an amazing game. Bummer not to win but I’m proud of the effort after an emotional week. I’m happy. The opportunity to knock Hawthorn out of the 8 next week is still on. Bring it on.26 points
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Simon Goodwin Sacked
26 pointsI think the next person to be sacked is me based off the amount of time I spent on the forum today.26 points
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TRAINING: Monday 28th July 2025
26 pointsI was there today, DZ. I’m there every single time. I’m just done with posting training reports because the training threads are now just as unreadable as every other thread. The nastiness and negativity is too much.26 points
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Langdon's 200th
25 pointsDespite how chaotic the last few days have been I thought it would be a good opportunity to acknowledge a fine achievement from a great contributor for us. I have always had a lot of time for this guy. I thought he was arguably the best wingman in the game from 2020-2022. He's still a bloody fine player now though. His professionalism and durability are second to none. He's a great guy to have around the club too. I actually don't think he's a bad option for our next skipper. He seems like the introverted type but he's clearly very popular with his teammates. Best of luck for your 200th Ed!25 points
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Time to go Goody?
25 pointsI was too invested in the game being tight on Saturday night to really focus on the fact we were somehow struggling against a team of potatoes. And even though I think we were the better team on the night, on reflection I am actually angry about the performance. But that's not uncommon. It was disappointing, we lost, and shouldn't have. But one moment in particular really struck me on Saturday night. I spit the dummy and walked out. After the missed Oliver HTB and Curnow's goal, there was still more than 2 minutes on the clock. More than enough time to win. McDonald gets the ball at half back. He has a completely empty corridor. He stops, scans, and holds the ball. He then kicks it to a contest on the wing, which Carlton wins. There was zero urgency, zero hunger. It really hit me, that moment. It reminded me of the Neeld years and early Roos years. Just a complete lack of confidence, hunger, urgency to win and take the game on. I haven't screamed out for them to "HURRY UP!" like that for more than a decade. It was a real wake up call for me. The game is there to be won and we are still stopping and propping, looking for the free teammate in the hope it'll open up and we can use the corridor. What sort of strategy is that with time winding down? It is no bloody wonder this team has struggled in close games under Goodwin. The semi final loss broke me. Footy and Melbourne hasn't been the same for me since. I don't barrack anymore. I just observe. People on this forum still talk about 2023 as if we were just "one kick away" and "inaccuracy cost us" but they were just soul and identity crushing loses for this club. We haven't been the same since. And something just clicked for me on Saturday. Just that one play. A complete lack of urgency everywhere. We just looked like a shadow of what we once witnessed. I am absolutely done for the year. We are staring down the barrel of a bottom 4 finish with a relatively healthy list. And that's with: The best ruckman ever, still at the top of his game. Two of the best midfielders of the past decade albeit badly down on form but still under 30 and should be at their peak. Two of the best defenders of the past decade albeit battling injuries. The best Indigenous midfielder-forward since Cyril. Four top 10 picks in your best 22. Multiple first round picks in your top 22 and on the fridge in the VFL. This is not a list or player issue. There sure is room to improve on an individual level but we should 100% be competing for a finals spot.25 points
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TRAINING: Tuesday 12th August 2025
24 pointsMy boy Luker won’t be debuting this season. He’s not as disappointed as I thought he’d be. He said they don’t want him in his debut going up against Barrass and Battle, or Collingwood. LOL… they didn’t specify filth players, they must mean the whole side.24 points
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TRAINING: Saturday 9th August 2025
24 pointsLovely morning at Gosch's. Looking for subtle changes - the entire group walked over from AAMI together - they are usually more like Brown's cows. All 23 present, plus the carryover emergency, Sharp. The other two emergencies, Campbell and Jefferson are playing in Brisbane (Casey started very well!). Interim CEO and Richo present (as usual, constantly on the phone). TMac family present as usual with the Viney kids. No soccer game today. Trac doing his usual goal-kicking practice. Judd tells supporters "he's not going anywhere". Chappy embraced by a particular trackwatcher (guess who!?). Still some sadness in the air - the familiar strut/saunter of Goody not present. No prospective coaches spotted.24 points
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May to Tribunal
24 pointsRemember what the Tribunal said about May: "We find that at the moment May changed direction and ran towards the ball, a reasonable player would have realised that it was highly likely that Evans would reach the ball before May did... May could and should have realised before the last bounce that he remained unlikely to get to the ball first... Both players had a clear and unimpeded view of the ball and of each other... May made no attempt to change his path, his body position or his velocity at any time leading up to or in the contest. As a result, the effect was that he ran through Evans at high speed. A reasonable player would not have done so. May did not have a lot of time to do so, but he had sufficient time to avoid or minimise a high speed collision with a player who was gathering the ball... It's important to note in this regard that May had a relatively long period of time to sum up the key features of the contest. This was not a situation where May had a split second in which to assess what might happen in the contest and to consider what he might do if the ball did not bounce in an entirely favourable way or him. May ran at a sufficient distance and had sufficient time with an unimpeded view of what was before him to determine what he could and should do in the likely event that he did not reach the ball either first or at the same time". Almost all of the above apply, IMO, to Newcombe on Howe. One key difference is that the ball was to Newcombe's left but Howe was on the right (not both in front like May), but Newcombe has time to turn and look at Howe coming the other way, and then elects to run through him to try to tackle. If the game today required May to assess that situation and attempt to minimise contact, IMO it required Newcombe to attempt to minimise contact, which he did not do. I haven't heard David King's argument on it but if he has gone with "no weeks, football accident", that simply confirms that he's a [censored] moron, the complete opposite of the "best analyst in football". He's a hypocritical, finger to the wind, opinion-flipping, non-sensical moron. Where's the whole "these players are capable of split second decisions, they can react to these things, I'm the only commentator in the industry who cares about concussion, stop thinking about May and think about Evans instead" now? And Jon Ralph would love his time again when he went with "the good news is it's only concussion". I suppose, being nice, he was trying to say there was no additional neck/bone damage, but seriously, do better you [censored].24 points
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Simon Goodwin Sacked
24 pointsSaw a tweet about Goodwin's impact on the league and thought I'd share it here: "Let’s also not forget how he was the catalyst for a complete shift in the way the game is played right now, Melbourne played such a high hurt, contest dominant and defence led style that teams physically couldn’t compete with. So they had to change, and now this high transition, high rebound and turnover footy is so prominent in the league, all to counter what Melbourne were so dominant at".24 points
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How you doing?
24 pointsI’m sad and grieving. Yes I know nobody has actually died but I don’t know a better way to describe it. And the celebration of this event only makes me feel isolated and alone. I’m laying low for a bit until this settles down.24 points
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Simon Goodwin Sacked
24 pointsF me Melbourne. I've got a thesis to deliver in the next week. Appalling timing.24 points
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Welcome to Demonland: Jai Culley
24 pointsLook pal, it’s been a rough season and whether it was one good game or 200 more, it was just nice to see a kid who grew up supporting the Demons, now playing for them and showing some passion for the jumper towards his Mum. Stop being such a Negative Nelly.24 points
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POSTGAME: Rd 21 vs West Coast
24 pointsDid y’all see Jai after kicking his first goal? He ran in jubilation, passionately pulled at his jumper and screamed come on to the crowd. And it was real. His blood runs red and blue.24 points
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Max on the Front Bar
24 points
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Clarrys 200th
24 pointsThere’s no doubt this guy is one of the best ever players to pull on the red and blue. His 2017-mid 2023 inclusive period is the single most consistently high performing period I’ve witnessed by a Melbourne player. Even now, reading some of the comments on this thread, his current output is being underrated purely because of how high he set the bar. The thing that can’t be argued is he is statistically one of the best midfielders ever. In the top echelon for disposal, contested possessions, clearances and even score involvements relative to others playing his position. But the thing that really sets him apart and in my opinion has never been fully appreciated outside MFC is what he does off the ball. Contrary to popular media opinion, at his best he was one of the best 2 way runners in the game, and his intercept possessions for a midfielder were off the charts for a long time. He’s dropped off in this area a tad since the hammy, hand issues and off field issues (apparently he is human) but at the game on Sunday I saw signs that this part of his game is returning. It’s no coincidence our defense basically never conceded 100 points while Oliver was at his peak. Along with an elite back 6, having peak Oliver was like playing with an extra player to intercept in front of D50. Add to all of the above that he’s got the cleanest hands I’ve seen of any AFL player (only saw G Williams in his twilight) and is one of the most creative by hand, he’s already a legend of this club. Of course a popular highlight was the goal in the granny, but I’d also note he has the 4th highest rated game since they started measuring player ratings. Only behind Buddy and Le Cras with bags of 12+ and S Johnson in the 186 game with 7 goals and 10 goal assists. He basically should’ve won that 2021 game against Adelaide off his own boot while the rest of the team were down if not for a couple of terrible calls in the last minute (and many others throughout the game). It’s arguably the best game by a midfielder ever. Let this sink in: from the start of 2021 to mid 2023 Oliver played 61 games and polled coaches votes in 51 games. That includes losses. It doesn’t include finals in that period in which he never failed to get 15 contested possessions and was in the best for 4 out of the 5. The start of 2023 is sometime forgotten for how good he was because of what happened after the hammy. He polled coaches votes in 9 of the first 10 games. That includes the game vs Port where he did a serious hammy in the third quarter and (maybe unwisely in retrospect) continued to play the game out. The only game he didn’t poll votes in was the Gather Round game against Essendon where he got 41 touches and 25 contested possessions while copping a heavy tag! I can’t see an argument where any Melbourne player is compared to Oliver in terms of overall output other than Barrassi, Flower and Gawn.24 points
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POSTGAME: Rd 22 vs Western Bulldogs
23 pointsLangford and Culley are 2 monsters that can mark anything and play forward Exciting for the future These tight games are invaluable for our young guys23 points
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Simon Goodwin Sacked
23 pointsRegardless of whether you agree or disagree with the decision, I think we can ALL agree that what Goodwin has brought to our club was immensely positive and he deserves a huge amount of respect. The only premiership coach in my lifetime, and probably in many other supporters' too. I hope the timing is connected to our last home game of the year, and that he at least gets to coach the final match against the Dogs and we can say thanks to him as a supporter base. I for one will always have great respect for what he achieved and 2021 was the greatest joy of my Melbourne supporting life.23 points
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Welcome to Demonland: Jai Culley
23 pointsHaven't felt this way since a player since Harmes. I love how much this guy loves the club. It might not mean a lot on paper but after the year we've had it means a fair bit to me.23 points
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TRAINING: Monday 28th July 2025
23 pointsThank you, DZ. Of all days, yesterday was one where I couldn’t NOT turn up. It’s not easy. It’s actually bloody hard. The looks on some of their faces broke my heart, especially the young boys. I wish all those who relentlessly bag our players could turn up to Gosch’s on a day like yesterday to see the hurt on their young faces. Troy Chaplin and Chin were walking together and Troy said to me “I didn’t think you’d be here today.” Chin said “I did” and smiled. And that’s why I’ll always turn up.23 points
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PREGAME: Rd 20 vs St. Kilda
23 pointsLeave Jefferson in please. I think he struggle with the dewy conditions but there were still moments like the smothers and bringing the ball to ground. Him and JVR just need to continue that forward synergy.23 points
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Who Will Be Our Next Coach?
22 pointsJobe Watson is a trained barista so makes sense as a lot of caffeine will be needed during the process22 points
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Simon Goodwin Sacked
22 pointsFor those scratching their heads are you aware we have only won 8 games from the last 28 with 16 premiership player still on our list? It's not that hard22 points
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Brad Green and the current board
22 pointsThere are times when I really don't like Caro, and this is one of them. She makes stuff up, and most of her columns are now highlighted with "Opinion piece" I know Steven Smith and had a chat at a Gosch's training session before he went to Italy. He stated that he wouldn't assume the role at least until the AGM, as it would be too disruptive to take over on his return from OS. He was at the President's lunch on Sunday, let it slip that Italy was really hot and that he video conferenced into board meetings while on his holiday. Caro I call BS. She cannot have it both ways, either. You cannot say there is a leadership vacuum due to the president being acting and the CEO absent, then say Green is being dictatorial and overreaching. The fact is he was appointed to be president and until the AGM and elections come up, which may well be in December, he is the president, end of story. As for Keith Thomas, the moment he put his foot in his mouth, he was never going to be selected. Or did she neglect to say that? Her history of bagging this club, whether it be tanking, Goodwin and bad behaviour, inuendo re Oliver or any other opportunity to badmouth our club, indicates to me the best thing is to ignore her.22 points
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PREGAME: Rd 23 vs Hawthorn
22 pointsvan Rooyen has has a terrible season but he’s played two reasonable games in a row where he’s been attacking the ball in the air and grabbing a few. We are relying on him for the future. Dropping him when he’s finally starting to get going would make the entire season a waste.22 points
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POSTGAME: Rd 22 vs Western Bulldogs
22 pointsI reckon the responsibility for our midfield woes, today and all season, in large part falls to Jones, who is charge of stoppages and the other midfield coach (whose name escapes me - Sam ratcliff?). Our set up and structures have been woeful all season. I went to a player sponsor event last year and Maxy was on our table. I was talking to him about stats and whether he is into them. Short answer is yes (he noted every player has access to an app with the full stats the club keep, team wide and for each player - he showed me the app on his phone). I asked him if hitouts is the most useless stat in footy - leading question but he agreed. But of more interest he volunteered that by far his least favourite stat was hitout to advantage as it's dependent on the mids being in the right spot - that's to say he hits it to a designated spot on the clock (his phrase) and a mid is supposed to be there. In games that's mainly on the mids but it also comes down to how the midfield coach sets up structures etc and how well drilled and coached the mids are.22 points
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POSTGAME: Rd 22 vs Western Bulldogs
22 pointsGreat effort today. Play with that effort and game style and we'd win most weeks. Bad luck. Umpires didn't help.22 points
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Who Will Be Our Next Coach?
22 pointsMy take on the next coach: Short version: Despite my misgivings about Buckley i think appointing him coach would be a good move and i'll fully back him in if they do. Long version: I'm ambivalent about Buckley. He was a famously defensive coach that, yes came close to a flag but was sacked on the back of a woeful season and his replacement turned much the same list into a competitive unit immediately. And the knock on him as a coach was that he wasn't a great manager of people and had a propensity to judge others by the myopic, hyper driven standards he set for himself as a player. Add to that I've never much liked him. Against those misgivings i think the following counter arguments hold significant weight: Personally i think we need to go with an experienced coach like Buckley or Longmire that has gravitas and would not need to 'earn' the respect of players the way any new coach would I agree with Goodwin and Langdon that we're actually not far away from being a contender again, meaning we are not in full rebuild mode - a scenario that suits an experienced coach (on that point, the fact that Buckley is even interested suggests he also believes we are not far from being a contender - no chance he is up for years long rebuild like McQualter and Yze) An experienced candidate like Buckley or Longmire would also have the power, within limits, to call the shots on key hiring and firing decisions which will be important as we need a broom Buckley would demand veto on assistant coaches and no doubt create his own team of line coaches, something that i think is very much needed (ie new assistant coaches) I think some tough calls also need to me made about our high performance program - Bucks, who was ahead of his time on the fitness front, will have firm views in that space and I suspect would drive change It is reasonable to think Mcrae built on the foundation Buckley built - I think that's particularly true in regards to driving training standards They were clearly already a super fit team when Mcrae took over and their success under Mcrae's would simply not have been possible without that base given his method is so aerobically taxing Landing Buckley soon would go a long way to assuage my concerns the executive made an ill considered, vibe based decision to both sack goody and do so three games from the end of the season Many have noted Buckley has mellowed and he himself has acknowledged he has to chill a bit in terms of his interactions with players, particularly those that are perhaps less driven than he was as a player He was on a bit of a hiding to nothing at the Pies as the whole legend player becomes coach of their team narrative arc often has an unhappy ending (Voss being one such example) Buckley is unquestionably a good media operator and whilst it would be great if that wasn't such an important KPI for s senior coach the reality is it is - particularly for a club that has relied on the senior coach and captain to front the media for the last three years So, all things considered I hope we land Buckley and I'll fully back him in if they do. There would certainly be an irony in Buckley coming in and having immediate success with a team that had struggled in the previous two seasons. By the by, in terms of choosing bucks, or indeed any coach, I'm of the view that whilst the coach is of course important the impact of an AFL coach is hugely over rated. I'm more concerned the clubs sorts its governance and get the high performance stuff right.22 points
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Simon Goodwin Sacked
22 pointsI liked Eds honesty and clearly the players loved Goodwin which we all knew anyhow. The issue is, when players become way too comfortable and close to the coach then you start to get complacency and players dictate what they can and can't do. They run their own race which is a recipe for disaster. This has been going on for too long now and there been no accountability from coaches to leadership. Players need to take a huge chunk of responsibility for the sacking of Goodwin. The on field performance from the players and so called leaders has been simply unacceptable for 2 years now.22 points
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Simon Goodwin Sacked
22 pointsThis. I really don't want to hear from the players right now and how much they loved him. On at least 6 occasions this year they have literally mailed in effort and put him in a terrible spot. I was still undecided on whether Goodwin should have stayed or not but the playing group has fallen well short of their end of the bargain.22 points
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Brad Greens letter to members
22 pointsI have to say, I’ve been withholding from saying this for weeks, but might as well just say it now.. I really don’t like the Sack Goody thread. I understand why it exists, it’s a reasonable discussion, but reading through it sometimes all I see is spite, and anger. Goodwin presided over a great time for our club, during a very difficult period. For several years there we were standard setters, and if not for poor kicking on the day, and a career ending hit to one of our favourite sons.. who knows, maybe we would’ve got our MCG premiership. I feel like that gets forgotten too much on that thread, as it does in this discussion. I’ve come around to the notion that Goody needs to go, but I will also respect him immensely for what he gave us and feel uncomfortable with the way he is often spoken about in this place.22 points
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Nathan Buckley a Dees supporter?
22 points
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From anger to action: A call for constructive feedback to leadership
I prefer having a whinge.21 points
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TRAINING: Monday 28th July 2025
21 points
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